


We've Met Before

by jxdkid



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Time Travel, sci fi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-07-27 03:51:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7602277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jxdkid/pseuds/jxdkid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isaac recently got a job as a time traveling photographer, but when on the job he discovers something about his best friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Good News

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt from http://writing-prompt-s.tumblr.com/
> 
> "Write about a unique relationship between an immortal and a time traveler,"

The bright lights of the city streets made the night as clear as day. People shift through the walkways and hovercrafts blur past to the side. Inside a popular automatic cafe, Coffee CPU, a young man sat at a table next to the window with a cup in front of them and messenger bag slung over his shoulder, talking to a holographic screen projected from the tattoo on his left palm. The tattoo was just a circle in the center of his palm. On the screen was a sun tanned man and a dark skinned woman.

 

“Baby, we are so proud of you,” said the woman.

 

“Good job, Isaac. Not everyone gets the chance you’ve been given.” said the man, giving a thumbs up.

 

“Thanks Mom and Dad, but you two seem to be more excited about this than I am. To be honest I'm super nervous,” Isaac admitted.

 

“That is perfectly natural, I was nervous my first time, too,” Isaac's father said with a smile, until Isaac's mother punched him “Ow! What was that for?” he asked looking at his wife.

 

“You know full well what that was for,” She replied.

 

Isaac couldn’t help, but laugh, startling the other customers.

Isaac sank in his seat, “Sorry about that.”

 

“Anyway, joking aside, This marks a whole new chapter in your life, one of freedom and adventure,” His father said

 

“I just a job with a time travel agency, but you make it sound like I'm the protagonist to a 20th century rebellious young adult novel,”

 

“Are you feeling ok?” asked his mother.

 

“yeah, of course. It’s just that … I’ve dreamed about this opportunity for years and now that I'm here it feels so surreal, you know?” Isaac said, staring at his hands until his thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on the window next to him.

 

Standing on the other side of the window was a dark skinned young girl, waving at him with her left hand, showing off a tattoo of a purple rose.

 

“Sorry guys, Violet just showed up. I’ll call you later,” Isaac said. They said their goodbyes, before he closed his left hand, ending the call.

 

Violet quickly ran inside the coffee shop to join Isaac. Isaac stood up to meet her and was surprised when she randomly hugged him. Violet’s short, her eyes only go up to Isaacs chin, but she is the most athletic person Isaac knew, so the hug hurt a bit.

 

“How's it going, big guy? Sorry I’m late; I was checking out that new augmentation shop by my house.” She said as she ordered a coffee from a kiosk.

 

Violet loves fashion augmentations. She changes her look every other week. She changes her appearance so often the only way to identify her is her signature holo-tattoo, The Purple rose whose stem coils up her arm to her shoulder. Right now, she was celebrating No-Mod November, so she looks less impressive than normal. Her short hair was pitch black, her eyes were a soft blue.

 

“We’re only a week into November and you’re already thinking about cheating; have you no shame?” mocked Isaac as he sat back in his chair.

 

“It’s not my fault, they purposely release new augments on November just to spite people that celebrate No-Mod Nov,” Violet said as she sat across from him with her steaming coffee, “so why you want to meet me here? I didn't think you liked coffee,”

 

“Oh this is lemonade, they just don't have any other cups, but that's not important. I wanted to share some big news with my best friend. Guess who just got their dream job, this guy,”

 

“That’s awesome dude. Wait, which dream job, time traveler or photographer?” asked Violet

 

“That's the best part, both. I am a time traveling photographer. My job is to take pictures from different time periods for brochures and such and unlike public time travel I can travel whenever I want for free, assuming I take pictures while I'm there (or is it then?)”

 

“Whoa lucky you, finding a job that combines both of your passions, time travel and creeping on cute girls,” Violet said punching Isaac in the shoulder from across the small table, “Wait, now that you have a proper photographing job, does that mean you won’t be able to take pictures for my fashion blog? Is that why you wanted to meet here, so that the delicious coffee would soften the blow? Are you breaking up with me?!” Violet asked, suddenly standing up, getting louder and more panicked with each question.

 

“What? No! What kind of friend would I be if I just abandoned you like that? Since I'm out of school and I come back at the exact moment I left, I have a lot more free time to help you with the blog, so we’re here to celebrate” explained Isaac.

 

“Oh. Well, you should have just said that,” Violet said with an embarrassed smile. The rose on her hand began to beep and glow, “Oops, sorry about that; that's my alarm, They’re having a sale at my favorite clothing store. Can you come by for a photoshoot at about 5pm today? I’m sure to have some new outfits that the fans are going to love,”

 

“Sure thing, I should be heading to work anyway. See you later,” Isaac said as he stood up to walk Violet out.

 

As they both left the coffee shop they went their separate ways; Violet turned towards the shopping district, skipping happily down the sidewalk, and Isaac heading towards the time travel station farther downtown.


	2. You look Familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac notices something strange while he's out on the job

Isaac stood in the middle of a what appears to be a massive protest; people had signs and were all shouting. He looked around and saw the Washington Monument. He looked at the tattoo on his palm inside the circle it reads **_Tues 8-27-1963_ **.

 

“If I remember correctly this should be the March on Washington,” Isaac said to himself outloud.

 

“You got that right,” said a young black man that was standing next to Isaac, “It fills me with so much pride to see this many people here in support of the movement,”

 

“Yeah, this is a historic event, and you got to live through it,” Isaac said in awe of the crowd.

 

“What was that last bit?” the man asked

 

“We, I meant to say say we get to live through it,” Isaac said, panicked, “My name’s Isaac, by the way,”

 

“I’m James, nice to meet you. Do you need a sign? My friends and I have some extra; some of us could make it,”

 

“Um, no I’m fine, but if you and your friends wouldn’t mind, I’m here to take pictures of people in the march for the paper,” Isaac said as he pulled his camera from his bag.

 

“I would love to, but we’ll have to see what they say. Follow me,” James lead Isaac through the crowd to the west side of the Reflecting Pool, were a small group of young men and women were holding signs and chatting.

 

“James you’re back. What took so long?” asked a short white woman

 

“I ran into this guy,” he said gesturing to Isaac, “He’s a photographer, here to document this historic event, and he wanted to know if we wanted to be in a picture for the newspaper.”

 

“Hello, my name is Isaac it is a pleasure to meet you all,”

 

“My name is William, but most people call me Will,” said a white man with black hair, “and this is my sister Carol,” he pointed at the woman who had spoke earlier.

 

“Hello. You’re pretty good looking,” Carol said moving closer to Isaac.

 

“Thanks,” Isaac said nervously, moving away from her.

 

“Carol stop harassing the man he’s here on work,” said another woman.

 

Isaac turned to look at the woman and saw that she looked almost exactly like his friend Violet, but she didn’t have the rose tattoo.

 

“Hello, my name is Jasmine,” She said, offering Isaac a handshake.

 

“Nice to meet you,” Isaac said, shaking her hand and staring at her.

 

“I know you didn’t know this, so I’m just going to give you a warning, but that’s my girlfriend you’re staring at,” James said, wrapping his arm around Isaac and squeezing his neck softly.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry about that,” Isaac said quickly backing up.

 

“Don’t worry about it, just don’t let it happen again,” James said laughing, “so how about we take that group picture,”

 

They all posed in front of the reflecting pool with their signs and smiles on their faces. Isaac took a couple pictures of them all together and some of them individually. In between each picture they all chatted and made jokes.

 

When they finished Isaac thanked them and began walking off into the crowd, “Be sure to look for yourselves in the papers tomorrow, I’ve got to go find more pictures to take. I hope I’ll see you all again,”

 

“I’m sure we’ll meet again, soon enough,” said Jasmine waving him goodbye with the rest of her friends.

 

“That was a weird thing to say, don’t you think?” Carol asked.

  
“Too late now I already said it,” Jasmine answered with a knowing smile and a shrug.


	3. Hard to Deny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac talks to Violet about her past doppelganger.

Isaac handed his camera to the man behind the desk. They set it on a small platform and parts of it began to fade away, changing it from a 1960’s camera to the present’s more advanced model. Next to the platform a holographic screen opened, presenting the pictures Isaac took at the march; pictures of people, the monuments, and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr during his speech.

 

“Good Job, Mr. Wells, The client will find these pictures very useful,but for future reference, please focus on your assignment,” The man behind the desk said.

 

“What do you mean?” Isaac asked

 

“The client wanted pictures of the historic March on Washington, but some of these pictures look to be meant for a travel brochure, or a fashion magazine. Then there are the ones that look to be a group of friends playing around with a camera,”

 

“To be honest that was basically what was happening, I approached them to take pictures of them as people that were part of the march, but they were very friendly,”

 

“It’s not that big a deal, just remember if you had missed the speech it would have been coming out of your pay,” the man said as he tapped and slid his fingers on the holographic screen, “Anyway, I’ll show them the pictures you took, and we’ll see which ones they want to buy. I’ll call you when we’ve come up with a reasonable price,” He handed the camera back to Isaac, “Remember, don’t post those pictures anywhere or use them for anything related to business until you know which pictures they’d like to buy, but other than that do whatever you want with them”

 

“Understood, Have a nice day, Maxwell,” Isaac said as he walked to the door.

 

“Thanks, you too,” Maxwell replied absently.

 

Later that day at 4:30 pm, Isaac knocked on the door of Violet’s studio apartment. She opened the door slightly so that only half of her face could be seen.When she saw that it was Isaac she excitedly opened the door the rest of the way.

 

“Isaac, you’re early,” Violet said, “I was just putting together some outfits for the shoot,”

 

“Perfect, I just wanted to make sure I had enough time to set up the camera and the lighting. Also I have something you should see,” Isaac said as he followed her inside.

 

“Well you know where the set up is, and I put your stuff in the lockers to left, it all should be in the one labeled with your name,”

 

Isaac walked to the back corner of Violet’s apartment where a white background was set up and to the left of it was a set of locker’s each a different color forming a rainbow, “Where did you get a set of mid-civilization lockers?” Isaac asked as he grabbed his supplies from the locker.

 

“I found them in a salvage yard a while back, I only recently finished painting them,” Violet said placing outfits on hangers, “Anyway, you said you had something I should see,” She continued as she hung the outfits on a rack near the background.

 

“Oh, right. While I was at work, I found a someone that looks exactly like you, They’re even named after a flower like you. I got some pictures of them, if you want to see,” Isaac said, setting up his camera and the lights for the shoot. 

 

“That is a weird coincidence,” Violet said as she hid behind a barrier changing into one of the outfits she prepared “I’ve got to see this”

 

“After the shoot, Your fans are waiting,” Isaac said, “I’ll never understand why you decided to live stream these photoshoots,”

 

“So that I can be a shining example to the many aspiring models out there,” Violet said straightening her outfit, “and if people are willing to pay for that, who am I to stop them,”

 

  
“You are just despicable,” Isaac said, “Well, everything is setup, so let's get this over with,”

 

“You’d think you weren’t happy being in the company of a pretty girl,” Violet set posing for the first picture.

 

After a couple of hours the photoshoot ended. Isaac started putting the equipment be into the locker, and Violet changed back into her casual clothe behind the barrier.

 

“Thank god, we’re done. I was starting to think I would melt,”

 

“I told you to get rid of those old lights. Why do you insist on using equipment from centuries ago?”

 

“They're not old, they’re vintage, retro,”

 

“Don’t you mean out-of-date?”

 

“Shut up,” Violet said laughing, “What was that thing you wanted me to show me?”

 

“Oh, right,” Isaac reached into his pocket and pulled out a printed picture of Jasmine from the march

 

“Well, she’s definitely good looking,”

 

“Exactly, she looks just like you,”

 

“I mean, I wouldn’t say she looks exactly like me, but she is just as hot”

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Isaac said, groaning, “I have to go, but I’ll leave this picture here for you to realize how wrong you are,”

 

“Whatever, have a nice night,” Violet said turning the picture around like a printed road map.

 

“See ya,” Isaac said as he left the apartment.

  
Violet looked up from the picture to make sure he had left. She looked back at the picture and smiled, “Good times,”


	4. Things to be Explained

The next day at work Isaac asked other time-traveler if they had ever seen someone that looked like someone else they knew while traveling. Most of them said no, but those that answered yes said that they were known ancestors of the person. This got Isaac thinking about how Violet never knew her parents.

 

“If I could find more of her relatives throughout history, maybe I could find her parents and reunite them,” said Isaac.

 

“I don’t care what you do there, just remember to do you freaking job first. Today is a commission from a fashion magazine, they want pictures for next week's throwback thursday issue. You will be sent to the 21st century, 2010 to be precise. Have fun and feel free to bring back some souvenirs, just not something anyone would miss,” Maxwell said as he prepared the machine.

 

“Sorry, I was talking to myself,”

 

“I know. You’ll be dropped off in front of the venue. You have your Omni-ID right?”

 

“Yep, couldn’t get into the show without it.,” Isaac said, “Let's go already, I’m not getting any younger,”

 

“Yeah, but if the new study is correct you might be getting much older,” Maxwell said starting the machine

 

“What was that?” Isaac asked only a second before being zapped into 2010.

 

When his eyes adjusted to the dark he saw that he was in a restaurant freezer. 

 

The door opened and on the other side was a well dressed woman, the restaurant's owner, who spoke in a friendly tone, “Welcome Isaac, we have been expecting you,”

 

“We really need a better drop off point, like an inn or a hotel or something,” Isaac complained as he walked to the front of the restaurant.

 

“I’ll see what I can do about that,” the owner said, “Anyway you should hurry, the show is about to start, the venue is just across the street, have fun, and feel free to try some of our amazing food before you jump back to the future,”

 

“Isn’t the food of this period full of excessive sugars and fats?” asked Isaac

 

“Get out of my restaurant, periodist prick” she said, maintaining her friendly tone.

 

As soon as Isaac left the restaurant he saw the flashing lights of cameras and signs from the fashion show just across the street. He crossed the street and made his way through the crowd to a door with a bouncer standing in front of it.

 

“Hello, sir, I’m one of the hired photographers” Isaac said.

 

“ID, please,” the bouncer said, reaching out his hand.

 

“Of Course,” Isaac fished in his pockets for his Omni-ID, but couldn’t find it.

 

“Let me guess, You must of left it in your other pants?” The bouncer said, with a sigh.

 

“You my friend are correct, but I promise, I was hired, so why don’t you just let me in?” Isaac said as he casually walked towards the door.

 

“Get out of here,” The bouncer stepped in front of him with their fist cupped in their hand

 

Isaac turned around, and meekly replied, “Ok”

 

Back in the massive crowd, Isaac had managed to wiggle his way to the barrier rope by the red carpet.  _ Hopefully _ , Isaac thought,  _ I’ll be able to get some acceptable pictures without being in the actual show _ . Soon, limos began to pull up to the front of the venue, letting out the designers, who walked across the carpet without looking towards the crowd around them.  _ Crap _ , Isaac realized,  _ The models and clothe are already inside. I'm so fired for this. _ The designers continued to, one by one, walk the red carpet into the venue, still not looking around except for one. She walked slowly, scanning the crowd, until she noticed Isaac curled up in despair beside the red carpet.

 

“Hey, you,” she said

 

Isaac looked up to see her face looking at him. He looked around to see that the crowd around him had backed up to take pictures. He looked back at her and noticed she looked exactly like Jasmine and Violet.

 

“Close your mouth, luv, you’ll catch flies,” she said offering him a hand to help him to his feet. “Come on, luv, you're going to make me late for the show,” she dragged the clearly confused Isaac with her into the venue as the crowd took pictures.

 

Isaac followed her to a large room in the backstage area of the venue.

 

“Hello, my beauties,” She said as she entered the room full of male and female models.

 

“Hello, Madam Buttercup,” They all said in unision.

 

Isaac let out a small giggle, “Madam Buttercup?”

 

She turned back to Isaac clearly angry despite smiling at him, “Do you have a problem with my name, Mr. Isaac?”

 

Isaac was too shocked by her anger to realize she had said his name, despite the fact he never told her, “Nope, no problems here,”

 

“Good to hear,” she said, “Alright people it is almost show time. Is everyone dolled up and ready to go?”

 

“Yes, Madam,” The models replied as they left to line up for the stage.

 

“And you, Mr. Isaac, should get to the photographers’ seating quickly; you don’t want to miss anything do you,” She said, “and when the show is over come meet me in the restaurant across the street, my treat,” she winked at him before following after her models.

 

“Um … right, thank you,” Isaac said, flustered, before doing as he was told.

 

Isaac found an empty seat among the photographers, and thought to himself how lucky he was to run into Madam Buttercup.

\-------------

After the show, everyone filed out of the venue. Most of the designers were picked up by the limos that had dropped them off, except for Madam Buttercup, who was in the restaurant across from the venue sitting in a booth across from Isaac.

 

“I’m glad you were able to come and meet me. I know how busy people can be,”

 

“Thank you for inviting me, Madam Buttercup, but I kind of assumed that this place would be a bit beneath you,”

 

“Of course not. The food is good and that's all you really need,” she said as the waiter set a hamburger and fries in front of her, “are you sure you don’t want to order anything, Isaac?”

 

Isaac caught a quick glance at the owner, who was watching him and smiling, “No, This place doesn’t really agree with me,”

 

“Yeah, I can see that. You’ve always struck me as the type to accidentally piss people off,” she said as she added some of her fries to her burger.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I think it's your face, something about it says, ‘You will hate me,’” she took a bit of her meal, “but then again it could just be some kind of aura you have,”

 

“Why are you talking like we’ve met before? Now that I think about it, I don’t remember telling you my name,” Isaac asked.

 

“Because we have met before, and you did. What, did you think I would just let any random stranger backstage? People pay for that kind of stuff. I just owed you a favor, or would it be will owe you?” Buttercup said still eating her meal, “If I remember correctly you first met me at the March on Washington, I was going by the name Jasmine. Oh, by the way, James was a bit mad that the pictures you took were never in any papers,” 

 

“I’m confused,”

 

“Understandable, time travel can get very confusing, that's why I try to stay away from the genre they make me ask too many questions and it just ruins the whole movie,”

 

“If you’re Jasmine, why do you still look like your in your mid 20s? And why do you look exactly like my friend Violet?”

 

Buttercup silently looked him in the eyes, and waited for him to figure it out.

 

She could see the gears turning in his head, until he gasped and said, “You’re a time traveler!?”

 

“Technically, but I can only go forward, and one second at a time, for all of eternity. Are you sure you don’t want something this food is very good,”

 

“So, you are immortal?”

 

“Exactly, I’ve seen so much more than you can even imagine,”

 

Isaac continued to ask her questions and she happily answered all of them. This continued for hours, until they ran out of things to talk about, and Isaac went back in the freezer to be zapped back to his own time.

 

When he returned he hurried through all of the post travel business and rushed to Violet’s apartment.

 

When she opened the door, she was immediately bombarded with questions, “Why didn’t you tell me? How do you even keep that kind of thing a secret? When were you planning on telling me?”

 

After quickly recovering from her surprise she answered, “You’d have freaked. Years of practice. I already did,”

 

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

 

“I’d like to think so,”

 

Isaac takes a seat on her couch, “Sorry about that. It's just, finding out your best friend is an immortal is a tough pill to swallow,”

  
Violet joined him on the couch, “Makes sense, just imagine how I felt when you explained time travel to me, before we even had electricity,” she then begins telling him about their first meeting.


End file.
